In today’s day and age, most people feel comfortable typing on desktop or laptop keyboards rather than using pen and paper. As a result, many people tend to develop a rut when it comes to writing by hand. However, that’s just limited to certain white-collar jobs. What about the rest? In reality, much of the world still depends on handwritten stuff to get on with day-to-day activities. Be it a student, a teacher, or a physician, writing with the hand cannot be replaced just yet. So how adults can improve their handwriting? Let’s find out.
Why Does Handwriting Change Over Time?
A common question is why handwriting changes over time. A person’s handwriting won’t be the same as it was 5 or 10 years ago. Some even think about whether it’s a disorder or not. However, it has nothing to do with any disorder in any way. Rather it is dependent and the result of certain changes in human psychology.
The most prominent consensus regarding the change of handwriting in the development of motor functions. A child in their early education doesn’t even know how to hold a pencil. Through a gradual process of repeated learning, they develop expertise. It might take a person well into their teens to completely develop the motor functions responsible for writing. And all this while, the process of writing goes through minor changes in each stage. As a result, handwriting may significantly vary from childhood to teen.
But what about when a person has reached adulthood? Why does handwriting still change? This change is attributed to behavioral science. A human brain is naturally curious and eager to learn new things. As a result, the brain doesn’t always follow the same structure of writing. It might take in and inadvertently apply new fonts or writing styles. This change happens subconsciously. It’s a natural process that doesn’t indicate any form of complication whatsoever.
Why Is It Important to Have Good Handwriting?
As mentioned earlier, global digitization still hasn’t reached a position where handwriting is obsolete. Since it’s the major form of written communication, its importance is beyond any reasonable doubt.
Handwriting isn’t just a means of communication, it’s a personal identity. It expresses a person not just in a literal sense but also brings certain factors that are exclusive to every individual.
From that sense alone, having good handwriting is important. Because it’s expressing you as a person. Naturally, good handwriting helps to create a positive impact on a person’s mind.
Perceptions aside, there is also the factor of legibility. What is the point of writing something if it isn’t legible properly or requires several takes to understand? Neat handwriting helps to bypass all of these and create a seamless impression everywhere, regardless of the profession.
How To Improve Your Handwriting?
Use a Proper Pen
There isn’t anything like “Proper”. It’s more about finding the right pen that works for an individual. This is one of the bases that will make a difference when it comes to handwriting. Check for the weight, hand feel, grip, etc. See whether you can write smoothly and easily with it. The pen will be the first contact and the main instrument that delineates the strokes on paper. That naturally makes it an important determinant for good handwriting.
Improve Handwriting Adult Learners
How Adult Learners can Improve Handwriting?
Don’t be too Constricted
Many people make the mistake of going for a hard grip. That makes the writing forced and creates uncomfortableness in the hand. Good handwriting is like an art and it all starts with how the brush is held, or in this case, the pen. A soft and light grip will help to write smoothly without putting excess pressure on the palm.
Choose a Writing Style
There are countless writing styles out there. Be it print or cursive, the choice seems to be endless. One of the aims of handwriting practice is to bring uniformity. And the process starts with choosing a writing style. Note that it’s not feasible to be selective about certain parts of a style. Rather the entire style should be replicated for better uniformity and visual pleasure.
Get On with The Drills
It’s impossible to get good at handwriting overnight. This is a process that takes days even months to develop and put into the effective flow. The process of writing itself starts with drills. It’s like going back to nursery school to rewrite each letter over and over again. This is necessary to unlearn the existing stroke style and relearn the chosen font. It should start with letters and then gradually move to words and sentences.
Try Different Paper Orientations
Another useful tip is to try different paper rotations. Everyone has a different wrist positioning while writing. Depending on how the wrist aligns with the paper, the writing style will be affected. To get around this problem, find the perfect alignment through trial and error. It helps to avoid the wrist and keep a straight line while writing which is the next point of discussion.
Use Ruled Papers
Use ruled papers while practicing handwriting. A ruled paper helps to understand the word gap and line gap between sentences better. Practicing guidelines will help to better replicate on blank pages.
Keep Practicing
This is the most generalized and important tip when it comes to getting good with handwriting. Good handwriting requires months of effort. So, whenever there’s time available, get on with the practice. It will be even better if it’s possible to designate a time frame every day for practice only. Practice is the only way to perfect the craft.
Final Thoughts
There’s no shortcut to getting good at handwriting. However, the process only requires determination and effort. The underlying benefits of good handwriting are immense. Handwriting is like the manifestation and representation of a person’s own self. As humans, it’s only natural to strive for perfection in every aspect. Good handwriting can be a great starting point to that end.
Source: United News of Bangladesh